Almost 90% abstention.

The second round of Tunisia's legislative elections on Sunday (January 29th) saw a turnout of 11.4%, the country's electoral authority, Isie, announced on Monday (January 30th).

Historically low, the turnout is the lowest recorded since the 2011 revolution that overthrew dictator Ben Ali and marked the advent of democracy in the country.

Some polls in the past 12 years have garnered almost 70% turnout, such as the legislative elections of October 2014, although attendance has been declining in recent years.

In total, "895,002 people" voted out of 7.85 million registered voters, said the president of Isie, Farouk Bouasker, or 11.4% (against 11.3% announced Sunday evening on the database temporary).

Farouk Bouasker gave another rate of 14.6%, taking into account only "voluntary registered" on the electoral rolls, i.e. 5.8 million people, the others having been automatically registered when they turned 18.

The Isie then listed the names of the winners for each of the constituencies, on which it is impossible to draw conclusions, since the candidates – mostly unknown – were prohibited from displaying their political affiliation.

>> To read also: "Record abstention in the legislative elections in Tunisia: the opposition calls for union against Kaïs Saïed"

Substantial reduction in the role of Parliament

The experts explained the low turnout by the unanimous boycott of the election by the opposition parties, but also by a lack of interest in politics by a population focused on the deterioration of economic conditions (galloping inflation and recurrent shortages of base).

The legislative elections of December 17 and January 29 are one of the last stones that President Kaïs Saïed wanted to lay in the construction of an ultra-presidentialist system similar to that before the fall of Ben Ali.

Arguing that the country is ungovernable, he dismissed his Prime Minister and froze Parliament on July 25, 2021, before dissolving it and then reforming the Constitution last summer during a referendum already shunned by voters (30.5 % participation), to abolish the existing hybrid parliamentary system.

The future Parliament, also made up of a National Council of Regions – yet to be appointed – will see its prerogatives considerably reduced.

He will only be able to overthrow the government after two motions of censure adopted by two-thirds of the two chambers and will never be able to dismiss the president.

It will take ten deputies to propose a bill and the texts submitted by the president will be voted on in priority.

With AFP

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